A Story of Heroes (Version 2)
by Metatron's Prophet
Summary: One night, in Camelot, Prince Arthur his kidnapped. His sorcerer friend Merlin tries to stop his kidnapper, and they both end up in Storybrooke. (Near the end of Season 1)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Merlin did not expect to be dropped into another world by a magic carriage in his life.

That night was like any other in Camelot. He was walking to Arthur's chambers to retrieve some laundry he had forgotten. The last thing he needed was to have to do extra work tomorrow. Even when Merlin used his magic to help him, doing his daily chores for Arthur was a difficult job. And when he did not complete his chores, Arthur became difficult.

Just as he turned the corner, Merlin saw the guards outside Arthur's room were missing. Realizing that something was wrong, Merlin hurried to Arthur's room. Nothing seemed out of place at first. Except, Arthur was not in his bed. Panicked, Merlin ran to the window to see if anyone in the courtyard. Good decision, because he saw someone carrying Arthur over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Merlin shouted to alert the guards.

Unfortunately, his yelling also alerted the kidnapper. He ran, not to the gates, but to the well in the courtyard. In order to try to help Arthur, Merlin jumped off the window ledge. Using his magic, he slowed his descent. So, he landed without injury. Normally, he would never use his magic when he was so exposed. However, it was night and the guards were focused on the intruder. When he reached the ground, he ran to the intruder, who now stood inches from the well.

Guards surrounded the kidnapper. Merlin pushed through to the front. The intruder wore black leather armor and a hood over his face. There was something metallic attached to his belt, along with a sword.

"Release the prince!" One of the knights commanded.

"Actually, I'll be taking my leave." The intruder said with an arrogant tone.

Then he tossed a coin into the well. For a second, nothing happened. Merlin was sure that the intruder would be captured and Arthur would be safe. That thought was shattered when lightning burst from the well. It struck all guards, knocking them unconscious. The only reason Merlin did not get hurt was because he instinctively used his magic to protect himself.

He almost wished he did not when he heard an evil laugh. Actually, it was more of a roar. As soon as Merlin heard it, he wanted to curl-up into a ball. Only through the use of all his willpower, did he remain standing. What came next nearly made him wet his pants.

A chariot pulled by vampire horses flew out of the well. The chariot seemed to be made completely out of a black metal. Its wheels glowed with a purple light. There were only two horses pulling the chariot. Both were as red as blood and had sharp fangs. Their feet appeared to be made of gray mist.

Looking at the driver was like looking at the night sky. His body was black, except for star all over it, like chicken pox. Two bright blue lights on his face must have been his eyes. The whip he used on the horses was made of white lightning.

First, the chariot flew in a circle above the castle. Then it landed near the intruder, who jumped onto it. That is when Merlin unfroze. He grabbed onto the side of the chariot as it ascended into the sky. Using all his strength, Merlin managed to pull himself into the chariot. When he did, a white light blinded him. However, he did grab Arthur's arm as he was blinded.

No free rides!

The voice that spoke sounded like an explosion and the roar of a savage beast fused together. Next thing Merlin knew, he and Arthur were falling to the ground in a completely different location. Luckily, there were tree branches to break their fall. However, it still hurt when they hit the ground.

"Ah, what happened?" Arthur said, now awake.

"Oh, now you wake-up." Merlin said.

When Merlin tried to stand, he discovered his left leg seriously hurt. His pants were being stained red with his blood.

"Merlin!" Arthur said, concerned.

"I think I broke my leg." Merlin said while in pain.

Quickly, Arthur examined it.

"Relax, you just have a sprained ankle and a large cut." Arthur said.

"Oh, is that all?" Merlin replied, sarcastically.

Then, with Arthur help, he was able to walk by leaning on him. Together, they made their way out of the forest. After a few minutes, they came upon something strange. A wide, black-stone path with a yellow line down the middle.

"What's this?" Arthur asked.

"I think it is a road." Merlin said. "Could someone have built it?"

"Don't be an idiot." Arthur said. "No one could make a road this smooth from stone."

"It still looks like one to me." Merlin replied. "All roads lead somewhere. Perhaps we should follow it?"

"Okay, but which way?" Arthur asked.

"Left." Merlin suggested.

"Then we are going to the right." Arthur decided.

Shortly after they started walking down the road, they saw a sign. It was rather strange-looking. The words were painted white, while the rest of it was painted green. Written on it was "Welcome to Storybrooke".

"That is a weird name for a town." Merlin said.

"Definitely." Arthur replied.

Up ahead, he saw what resembled a small, yellow carriage. It had driven off the road and nearly hit a tree. Oddly, they did not see any horses nearby. Perhaps they had broken free and run away. As they got closer, they saw a blonde woman replacing a strange wheel.

"Hello!" Merlin called out.

When the two of them were close enough, they could see that the woman was wearing odd clothing. A winter hat, a black leather jacket, and weird blue pants. Despite her clothing, she was quite beautiful.

"Hi," the woman said. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night, dressed like that?"

"We, ah-" Arthur did not want to tell this woman too much about them.

He had been taught to untrusting towards strangers. Especially, those that look so weird. However, he has never been good at lying on-the-spot.

"We were camping nearby." Merlin said quickly. "But there was an accident."

He gestured his bleeding leg.

"Oh my god!" The woman said. "I'll give you a ride into town."

"Thanks." Arthur said.

The seats in the carriage were very comfortable. Far more comfortable than riding a horse. In the right front seat sat a boy, either ten of eleven, with brown hair. He looked a little upset, but he did his best to conceal it. On his lap, he had a large book. Its title was "Once Upon a Time".

"Hello, little boy." Arthur said. "How are you?"

"Fine." The boy replied.

Merlin leg was beginning to hurt more. He needed something to take his mind off the pain.

"Where are you from?" The child asked.

For some reason, Merlin felt he could trust the boy, so he was honest.

"Camelot."

"Wait, Camelot?!" The boy exclaimed. "The magical land filled with dragons and all kinds of magic creatures. The home of the great sorcerer Merlin and heroic king Arthur."

"Hold on, I'm still a prince." Arthur blurted out.

"You're Arthur!" He said, his expression was one of awe.

That made Arthur grin. He liked being admired.

"Where did you hear such things about Camelot?" Merlin asked.

Before replying, the boy checked to make sure that the woman was still changing the wheel.

"Okay, don't panic, but I read about Camelot." He said.

"Why would we panic about that?" Arthur asked, confused.

"Because Camelot does not exist in this world!" The kid replied. "You have traveled to this world from another."

"What?!" Both Merlin and Arthur said simultaneously.

"This world is a place void of magic and monsters." He continued. "The only way to travel from world to world is with magic."

Now things were starting to make sense. Everything they had seen since they landed looked so strange. It was because they were in another realm.

"How do you know of Camelot if it is in another world." Merlin asked.

"Like I said, I read about it." He replied. "In this world there are dozens and dozens of stories with events and characters that are similar to people and events in other worlds."

"Everyone in this town is from another realm, like you." The boy said. "It is called the Enchanted Forest. They had their memories stolen and were taken here by a powerful curse."

"If everyone has forgotten about their true lives and magic, how do you know?" Arthur asked.

"I was never cursed." The boy said. "And I have this."

He held up his book, then handed it to Merlin. Oddly, it felt very warm in Merlin's hands. When he opened it, all the stories within it flashed before his eyes. Like a vision. In an instant, he knew every word of every story by heart.

"Merlin!" Arthur shook him awake from his trance.

"My mother is almost done replacing the tire." The kid said. "Don't tell her who you are or where you came from. She will think you are crazy."

"Got it." Merlin replied.

"Alright, we're ready to go." The blonde woman said. "I'll take you straight to the hospital, so your friend can get some treatment."

"Thanks." Merlin said. "Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I am Mathew and this is Alexander."

"Good to meet you." She replied. "I'm Emma and this is Henry."

"Our pleasure." Arthur said.

Apparently, the carriage could move without horses. The two of them did their best to act like such a thing was natural. They did not want to seem suspicious. Also, the carriage moved faster than the ones in their realm. It only took them a few minutes to arrive at their destination. The hospital was a tall building made of red brick and had many square windows. Stranger still, the doors they entered through were made of glass and opened by themselves. Again, they did there best not to look surprised.

Upon walking into the hospital, a nurse quickly examined Merlin. She bandaged his wound and gave him some medicine to help ease his pain. Emma and Henry left as soon as the doctor arrived. His name was Dr. Whale. A very odd name. Who has the same name as a giant sea creature?

"Well, clearly your friend has sprained his ankle." Dr. Whale said. "May I ask how this happened?"

"Uh, Alexander dared me to climb a tall tree." Merlin replied. "I made it to the top, then fell off."

At first, the doctor looked doubtful. However, he quickly excepted the lie. It made sense, after all. Or, at least, Merlin hoped it did.

"Well, I think you should stay overnight for observation." Dr. Whale said. "But I don't think you have anything to worry about. Now, I think you should get some sleep."

He did not have to tell Merlin twice. The bed he was laying on was remarkably more comfortable than any he had slept in before. He was exhausted, and so was Arthur. This night's events had made them greatly tired. Almost instantly, Merlin fell asleep. Following his example was Arthur.

Quickly, they both regretted their decision, because they did not enjoy any sweet dreams. Instead, they suffered terrible nightmares.

Merlin found himself running through the streets of Camelot. He felt that someone was chasing him. There were footsteps behind him. The fear he felt was intense. Then, when he turned a corner, he bumped into Arthur. Merlin opened his mouth to say something and found he could not speak. The same was true for Arthur. Both of them were completely mute. They tried to communicate with each other through charades. Their attempts were cut short when an arrow nearly pierced Arthur's head. When they looked in the direction it had came from, they saw the same man that tried to kidnap Arthur.

At least, they thought he was the same man. They could not see his face, but he wore the same clothes. Only now, he had a bow and quiver. Already, he had drawn another arrow. Though, how he was aiming it so well with a hood covering his face remained a mystery. The next arrow cut Merlin's arm as he and Arthur ran away. This was definitely more than a dream because Merlin still felt pain.

They ran towards the castle with the hooded man following them. His arrows were shot with terrifying accuracy. Each time they avoided them, it seemed like a small miracle. However, their luck did not last. While they were running across the courtyard, one of his arrows hit the back of Merlin's knee. Pain surged through him like a tidal wave. Despite his best efforts, he could not scream.

Rather than continue running, Arthur remained by Merlin's side. Their attacker still had some arrows left, but decided to change weapons. Now, he held his sword. There were odd carvings in the blade. He charged at Arthur, trying to impale him. Fortunately, Arthur had been trained in how to fight without a weapon. He managed to knock the blade out of his opponents hand. The two of them dove for it. They struggled over it. Arthur won that struggle, but the hooded man still had a trick up his sleeve. Or rather, hidden in his boot. He pulled out a knife from his boot. When Arthur swung his blade, the attacker avoided the sword and stabbed him in the arm. The pain caused Arthur to let go of the blade. Then, he was stabbed in the heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

At the same moment, they woke up, gasping like they had been held underwater. Arthur gripped his chest.

"Arthur!" Merlin said. "You are find. Okay, you are find."

It took him a second to respond. "Yes, yes I know."

"Did you just have a dream where we were being attacked by the guy that tried to kidnap you?" Merlin asked.

"How did you know?" Arthur asked.

"Because I had the same dream." Merlin answered.

Before they had a chance to further their discussion, Arthur noticed Emma walking by them. Her expression was one of anger and sorrow. She was pulling another woman by her arm. This woman had black hair and a concerned look on her face. Emma pulled her into a closet. Merlin also saw that there were nurses hurrying up and down the hallway. Realizing that something was wrong, Merlin went to talk to the nurses while Arthur spoke with Emma.

Merlin followed the nurses to find Henry laying on a bed. His eyes were shut, his skin was pale and his breathing was shallow. This was quite a shock to Merlin. Since the moment Merlin met the boy, he had like him. The child seemed fine the day before. What could have happened?

"Is he alright?" Merlin asked.

"No." One of the nurses replied. "He is dying."

Without hesitation, Merlin placed his hand on Henry's forehead and tried to use his magic to heal him. However, it did not work. Instead, Merlin's hand was burned. Using a great deal of willpower, Merlin did not scream. From his injury, he was able to deduce that whatever was killing Henry was of a magic origin. He went to find Arthur.

Emma, Arthur, and the dark haired woman from before were all headed out the main entrance.

"Arthur!" Merlin said. "Henry, he's-"

"I know." Arthur said. "He has been put under a sleeping curse."

"How do you know?" Merlin asked.

"Emma told me." Arthur replied. "Well, technically I overheard her. Also, I have explained who we are and that we want to help."

"Yes and now we are wasting time here, playing catch-up." The dark haired woman said. "Now, com on."

The four of them drove to a place called "The Gold Pawn shop". On the way, Arthur explained all the missing details to Merlin. Apparently, the dark haired woman was named Regina. She was Henry's adoptive mother and the one who cast the curse that Henry spoke of. When Emma was brought into town by Henry, Regina spent every waking moment trying to get rid of her. She feared that Emma would take Henry away from her. Her most recent attempt was accidentally inflicted on Henry. Now he was under an unstable sleeping curse.

As soon as they entered the Pawn shop, Merlin suddenly felt dizzy. Somehow, he could sense all the dormant magic within the store's walls. He had always had this sort of sixth sense for magic. Right now, he could feel the magic just waiting to be awakened.

The shop itself was littered with strange items. Glass cases with tea sets inside them and piles of books on top of them. There were antiques and paintings too.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the look of a true believer?" A man said.

This man wore a black suit and a purple tie. He had long brown hair, brown eyes, and a golden tooth. On the table in front of him was a wooden box. The man had a grin on his face. Honestly, Merlin's skin crawled just from looking at him.

"I believe now, okay." Emma said. "And Henry is dying."

"Can you help us, Gold?!" Regina asked.

"Who are they?" Gold said, referring to Merlin and Arthur.

"Just some travelers from another realm." Arthur replied.

"Well, I would love to hear your story." Gold said.

"They'll tell you as soon as we save Henry." Emma said. "Now what do we do?!"

"Well, fortunately for you, I have something that can serve as an antidote to the poison." Gold said. "A potion made from true love. More specifically, one hair from each of your parents."

"But the curse would have drained the magic from it." Regina said.

"Yes, but I made sure it was protected." Gold said. "Tell me, Your Majesty, is our friend still beneath the library?"

"You sick little demon," Regina said. "You hid it with her!"

"_Inside _her, actually." Gold replied.

"What are you two talking about?" Merlin said.

"A friend of ours." Gold said. "A sorceress trapped under the town library. Before the curse, I had Charming place the potion inside of her."

"Whose Charming?" Arthur asked.

"A heroic prince, like you." Merlin answered. "Also, Emma's father. I found out from the book."

"Is this sorceress dangerous." Arthur asked.

"Definitely." Gold chuckled. "Which is why you are going to need this."

He opened the wooden box, and revealed a fine-looking sword.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"Why, your father's sword, of course." He replied.

"Do you have another one?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, but why are you helping?" Gold asked.

"Because it is the right thing to do." Arthur said.

"Very well." Gold said.

Then he got another sword that had been on display. This one was different from the one he had given Emma. It was thinner and had a single edge. There were what seemed to be letters or words carved into the blade. Arthur could not read these carvings.

"Will your friend be needing a sword as well?" Gold asked.

"Actually-"

"I'm no good with a sword." Merlin said. "Better I use a bow and arrows."

"Alright," Gold replied. "I believe I have a set in the back."

After Gold went to get the weapons, Arthur gave Merlin a curious look. He returned that expression with one saying that he did not trust Gold. So, it did not seem like a good idea to tell him about Merlin's magic.

In a minute, Gold emerged from the back of the store with a bow and arrows. He handed them to Merlin.

"Prepare yourselves." Gold said. "This will not be easy."

Soon after, they went to the town library. The library was about twice the size of a normal house. Its windows were boarded and there was a tower attached to it. On this tower were Roman numbers in a circle with two long pointed things that were slowly rotating in a circle.

"What is that?" Merlin pointed at the tower.

"A clocktower." Emma replied. "A device for telling time."

Merlin wondered why someone would need something to measure time. Though he quickly realized that being able to tell time would be helpful for scheduling purposes.

Inside the library, there were many books of all sorts. Also, it seemed better organized than the archives in back in Camelot. In one corner, there was a strange-looking red door with a lever on the wall beside it.

Regina walked straight over to the door and pulled the lever. The door slide open and the other three entered a small room.

"What now?" Arthur asked.

"This is an elevator." Emma said. "It moves up and down."

"And you're all going down." Regina said. "I need to stay up here to work the elevator."

"Fine." Emma said.

"Could you atleast tell us what to expect?" Merlin asked.

"Anything and everything." Regina replied as the door closed.

"Well, that as clear as mud." Merlin murmured.

As they traveled down in the elevator, Merlin heard a voice singing a song about dancing in rain. It was strange, yet soothing. When he asked Emma about it, she said that most elevators had an attachment that played certain music whenever the elevator was moving. That seemed rather weird to Merlin. Before he could inquire about it, the door opened. Outside the elevator was complete darkness.

"Damn, I should have brought a flashlight." Emma said.

While Merlin did not know what a "flashlight" was, he knew she wanted some light. Luckily, he remembered the perfect spell for this situation. With a single incantation, he created a floating orb that illuminated the cave with a white light.

"Handy." Emma said.

The cave was vast. Merlin believed the width of the cave to be about fifty feet and its height between that and a hundred feet. Nearby, Merlin saw a pit about thirty feet in front of them. At the exact moment they left the elevator, there was a gust of wind. It originated from the pit.

"What was that?" Emma asked.

"The sorceress telling us she knows we're here." Arthur said.

"Indeed I do." A woman's voice spoke.

Suddenly, a woman appeared from a cloud of black smoke. This woman had curly-blonde hair and red lipstick. She wore a black, silky dress and her nails were painted black. In her right hand, she held a staff that looked like a thorny rose.

"My, my." She said with amusement in her voice. "Finally, something to play with."

"Okay, how are we going to get the potion _out _of her?" Arthur asked.

"Do you, by chance, mean this?" The woman said as she revealed a glass vial in her left hand.

The liquid in it glowed purple.

"That charming little prince made me swallow this." She said.

"Please hand it over." Merlin said. "A young boy's life depends on it."

"You can have it, if you can get to it." The woman replied with a wicked smile.

Suddenly, the potion was on the ground, thirty feet away. The woman moved between them and the potion. It seemed clear that she wanted them to fight past her to get the potion.

"Look lady, you don't want to do this." Emma said.

"Oh, I think you have things the otherway around." She snorted.

Once she had finished her sentence, a white cloud of smoke covered her body. The smoke quickly expanded. Soon, it became a large cloud. When the smoke cleared, the woman had become a dragon. This dragon had black scales, green eyes, a tail, and two sets of razor sharp claws. There were horns growing out of the back of its head.

"Did not expect that." Merlin said.

Then the dragon spit a ball of fire the size of a car, from its mouth. Emma and Merlin dodged by jumping to the right and Arthur did the same, but to the left. Merlin quickly aimed his first arrow, while Emma dropped her sword and pulled out a metal object. The object made a loud, piercing sound that nearly made Merlin drop his bow. Whatever it did, the dragon now looked annoyed. Just as the beast was about to spit another fireball, it shrieked with pain. Arthur had cut the end of the dragon's tail off. Now its attention was turned toward him.

At that moment, Merlin had an idea.

"Cover your eyes!" He shouted.

Seconds later, Merlin throw the light orb at the dragons head. When the two collided, there was a burst of blinding light. The dragon shrieked and thrust its head against the wall. Meanwhile, Emma ran and grabbed the potion. The three of them ran back to the elevator as the the dragon regained its sight and spat another fireball at them. If the elevator doors had been even a second slower, the would be charcoal.

"Nice thinking." Arthur said to Merlin.

"Ya, now lets get out of here." She said as she pushed a button to let Regina know they were ready to come up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nothing happened for ten minutes. Emma must have pushed the button at least one hundred times. However, the machine did not move at all.

"Something is wrong." Merlin said.

"You think?" Emma replied sarcastically.

"What is taking that Regina woman so long?" Arthur wondered.

"I'm gonna find out." Emma said.

She pointed to a latch attached to the ceiling. With Merlin's help, she was able to open it and climb up. Just before she was about to help Arthur and Merlin to her position, she heard the elevator doors high above her opened. Emma looked up and saw Mr. Gold leaning out.

"Ms. Swan, seems it is a good thing I came here to check on you, Regina, and your new friends." He said. "Regina is long gone."

"What?!" Emma exclaimed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes and it would seem she has sabotaged the elevator." Gold replied.

Emma was shocked; Regina has always hated her since she stepped foot in Storybrooke, but Emma could not believe she would just let Henry die to hurt her. She was not alone in her doubts. Arthur saw the strong concern in Regina's eyes as they headed to the library. He knows a desperate parent when he sees one. Gold was lying, he was certain of it. So was Merlin.

"There isn't anything up here I can use to help you." Gold said. "However, You could toss the potion up to me and I could take it to Henry."

"Don't trust him, Emma!" Merlin yelled.

"He is lying about Regina, I can feel it!" Arthur shouted.

For a second, Emma looked unsure. She had learned firsthand that Gold could be deceiving. However, Henry was at death's door. Did she have any other options?

"Can't you fix the elevator controls?" Emma asked.

"Technology is not my area of expertise." Gold replied. "Ms. Swan, you are short on time. The curse could take Henry's life any second now."

"Don't do it, Emma!" Arthur shouted.

Unfortunately, Emma chose to do as Gold said. She throw the potion up to him, in spite of Arthur and Merlin's protests. Gold caught it with ease.

"Get that potion to Henry, quick!" Emma shouted.

"Don't worry." Gold replied absently.

He was staring at the potion with a smile across his face. It only took Emma a few seconds to realize she had made a mistake. Before she could say anything, Gold was gone. Arthur and Merlin managed to get on top of the elevator.

"That was a mistake." Arthur said.

"I agree." Emma said. "We need to get out of here."

"I think I can help with that." Merlin said. "I can already feel my magic fading, but I might be able to manage one more spell to get use up there."

Merlin grabbed both of his friends' hands and closed his eyes. He then imagined them in the library. Even though he only saw it once, Merlin had a clear picture in his mind. Suddenly, golden smoke surrounded them and when it cleared, they were standing in the library. In front of them was Regina, tied to a chair and gagged. Emma immediately rushed to help her.

"You idiot!" Regina said. "Gold took the potion, and he is not taking it to Henry."

"I was afraid of that." Emma said. "We need to track him down!"

_Ring-Ring. Ring-Ring._

A sound came from Regina's pocket. She pulled a red object out of her pocket and held it against her ear. Arthur saw the dread in her expression.

"Hello?" She said. "Is Henry any better?"

"Who is she talking to?" Arthur asked, confused. "And what is that thing in her hand?"

"It's a phone." Emma explained. "A device that lets you speak to other people despite great distance."

"Okay." Arthur said, now understanding that this world had many strange devices.

Regina suddenly dropped her phone. Tears were flowing from her eyes like two small rivers. She was trembling and would have fallen face first into the floor, if Emma had not caught her.

"Regina, what happened?!" Emma asked, her tone grave. "Regina."

"Henry … he … he's," Regina struggled to speak.

"Don't say it." Emma said. "Please don't!"

"Henry is dead."

* * *

After they returned to the hospital, Merlin and Arthur decided to remain outside on a bench. It seemed the two woman need time to themselves to grieve for their shared son. Though, they were not the only ones who felt sadness. Merlin had liked Henry from the moment he met him. He was a young boy who would have, no doubt, grown up to be a hero. Henry had also been one of the few people who admired him because of his magic. In Camelot, those who have magic are treated as criminals. Worse, as monsters. Maybe, Merlin could have taught him the ways of sorcery. Made Henry his first apprentice.

"I can not stand doing nothing." Arthur said, pulling Merlin out of his thoughts.

"Well, what can we do?" Merlin asked. "Henry is already dead. We can not save him."

"But we can get him justice." Arthur replied. "If that manipulator called Mr. Gold had not taken the potion for himself, Henry would be alive. I say, we find him, and drag him straight to a dungeon."

"Why did he take the potion?" Merlin inquired. "What is he going to use it for?"

"I don't know, but it can not be good." Arthur said. "I say, we find him and get some answers."

"You know, that might be the first good idea you have ever had." Merlin replied sarcastically.

"Shut up." Arthur said with a smirk.

They hurried to Mr. Gold's shop. It was not all that hard to find because Merlin remembered the route to there. At first, it seemed the same as before, until they went to the back. There were multiple closets open, bags packed, and Arthur found a lot of maps on a table back there.

"Looks like someone was planning on traveling." Arthur said.

"Yes, but why are the maps and luggage still here?" Merlin inquired. "Perhaps, he was interrupted by something and had to leave. However, he may come back to get his stuff."

"Well, I don't like to wait." Arthur replied. "You stay here and keep an eye out for him, while I search the town."

Before Merlin could reply, he saw a purple smoke filling the room. In a matter of seconds, they were completely surrounded by the stuff. Oddly, they did not feel it. There was no wind, they did not smell anything different, and they could still breath normally. Just as quickly as it appeared, the smoke disappeared.

"What was that?" Arthur asked.

"Magic." Merlin said as he created a ball of light in his hand. "That smoke was literally made of magic."

"Where did it come from?" Arthur asked.

"I think I know." Merlin replied. "Gold must have somehow used the potion to bring magic to this world."

"Didn't Emma say he used to be a powerful evil sorcerer?" Arthur recalled.

The two of them did not need word to know what the other was thinking.

"We need to find him." Arthur said.


End file.
